In the build-up to England’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino on Friday much has been made of the players who are missing rather than the starting XI manager Roy Hodgson expects to announce.

Rio Ferdinand’s return to the international fold has been put on hold after he pulled out yesterday because of what was described as a “detailed medical programme” while midfielder Jack Wilshere is unavailable because of an ankle injury.

Despite only turning 21 in January, Wilshere has been talked of as England’s potential talisman both in terms of World Cup qualification and also in the tournament itself. But Sir Bobby Charlton believes England are wrong to pin their hopes on the shoulders of the Arsenal playmaker.

“I think he’s just too young,” the 1966 World Cup winner said. “It’s just too soon for him on the world stage.

“Arsenal have a lot of young players, and very good young players at that, but there’s something that’s just not quite right, it seems to me.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jack Wilshere is a great player but there are lots of great, even greater, players on the world stage, who are outperforming him. He’s still a young lad who needs more time and we’d be wrong to pin all our hopes and expectations on him.”

Wilshere has made seven appearances for England. He made his debut in a friendly against Hungary in August 2010 and his first England start six months later against Denmark.

Expectations over the midfielder hit new heights after his man-of-the-match display in the 2-1 win over Brazil, leading many to suggest he can be England’s inspiration at the World Cup in Brazil next year. His captain, Steven Gerrard, even suggested he had “the potential to become one of the best in the world” but Charlton warned against over-hyping Wilshere off the back of that performance.

He said: “There’s a danger in England that we build our players up massively prematurely. We’ve seen that in the past and not always to good effect.”

Hodgson will be confident he will be able to call on Wilshere when they next play Brazil in their June friendly in Rio de Janeiro.

England have three matches before then: Friday’s San Marino game, the subsequent qualifier against Montenegro on Tuesday and a May friendly against the Republic of Ireland. With or without Wilshere in those games, Charlton believes England will qualify for the World Cup but dampened expectations over his chances in the finals.

“I like Roy Hodgson. He’s a good coach and seems to be very clear in what he wants to do as a side,” said Laureus Academy member Charlton.

“Of course it would be fantastic for the English people if we were to win the World Cup again. But I think it’s daft to build up the team unnecessarily.

“It doesn’t work like that. We have a problem in England in that we just don’t have enough players to choose from because obviously anyone can play in the English game. I was told that when Fabio Capello was in charge, he effectively had 94 players to choose from the leagues. With those sorts of numbers, it’s hard to expect anyone to win a World Cup.”

Charlton admitted he was at a loss to explain how to create a wider pool of players to choose from and is uncertain whether insisting on a quota of British players in each Premier League side was the answer. “I’m not sure what the case is,” he said. “But obviously you want more players to choose from going into the World Cup as I know the public, like me, would love to see us win another World Cup.”

Sir Bobby Charlton is a Laureus World Sports Academy member. To find out more go to laureus.com

Miss you but we'll be all right, Jack

LEIGHTON BAINES is a big fan of Jack Wilshere but says England will cope without the midfielder.

“It’s a very big loss,” the Everton and England left-back said.“He is a top player and is important to us and Arsenal and he’ll be missed by both of us.

“His style of play you could watch all day but we have a lot of players in the squad and I am sure we will be able to manage.”

Baines is banking on England getting an early goal against San Marino on Friday.

“Everyone expects us to win,” he said. “You know the job in front of you with the onus on you to go out and get a goal as early as possible and get the game won. Sometimes it is not as easy as you’d like it to be when they camp so many men behind the ball.”